And as for stuff thats BAD for your health,

remember those cool "Truth" ads on t.v. where they piled body bags up in front of a tobacco company office? Well, it seems the all-powerful Phillip Morris got that ad (and another one) pulled off because it "villified" tobacco companies. Well, duh. Read all about it here and here.

Grow up in the '60s?

There is an interesting essay on MSNBC titled Timothy Leary Revisited by Salon's John Horgan. And to go right along with it, if you are so inclined, here is a fascinating set of Documents on Al Hubbard, a chap know in some circles as "The Johnny Appleseed of LSD."

So, if you ask your Doctor in Oregon to assist your suicide, speaking Klingon, he'll think you are crazy and say "No"?

Oregon County Seeks Klingon Interpreter for Mental Health Patients
The Associated Press
Published: May 10, 2003

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Position Available: Interpreter, must be fluent in Klingon.
The language created for the "Star Trek" TV series and movies is one of about 55 needed by the office that treats mental health patients in metropolitan Multnomah County.
"We have to provide information in all the languages our clients speak," said Jerry Jelusich, a procurement specialist for the county Department of Human Services, which serves about 60,000 mental health clients. (more)

Dateline: PYONGYANG- North Koreans discover "miracle" tonic for geeks

Memo to myself- get a grant from the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation to get the franchise for this stuff.

Letters to the Editor

Once again, the Nunatsiaq News Letters to the Editor page is full of thoughful and interesting, nay, fascinating correspondence. Here's one:

May 9, 2003

A heartfelt thank-you from the Palliser family
We'd like to thank all Inukjuakmiut for the support and food that they gave to the late Minnie Palliser's survivors, plus all those who consoled and visited the family and gave flowers for our mother's grave.
A special thank-you to Inukjuak Tulliup Nipinga, Inukjuak Co-op, and to the kitchen staff of Nunavimmi Pigiursavik. Thank you to special visitors: Annie Inukpuk of Umiujaq, Carole and Lyndsay Anne Novalinga of Puvirngnituq, and Patsy and Lyndsay Anne Tulugaq of Kuujjuaq.
Thank you to Puvirnituq staff of Inuulitsivik Hospital and the Inukjuak staff at the CLSC, and thank you very much to Kristin Kirby for the lovely bouquet of flowers. Thank-you to all those who mailed and e-mailed letter of condolences, by phone, and by local radio.
Our mother survived nine years after her first stroke. She kept getting small ones over the years until the last one, which took place in January 2003, and which she didn't manage to bounce back from.
She left her survivors in peace on Feb. 11, 2003, at 5:23 p.m., when her kidneys failed. Our mother was a real role model for us. She had gone to Paris, Alaska, Norway and to many Canadian cities to perform throat chanting; she had gone to a lot of Nunavik communities representing elders; she made clothing such as amautiks and kamiks; she sculptured soapstone; and she was a natural midwife.
Our hearts are full of loving and wonderful memories of her here on Earth. She led a rich and full life to the very end. We rest assured that she has joined Our Father for she was greeting him, her mother, her father, and women by the name of Mina and Sarah in the last couple of her days.
Kids say the darnest things: A couple of days after my mother's death, one of her great-grandsons surprised his mother when he announced, "When I die I'd like to be buried next to my Aippaq (his wife, for he was named after our father) in the hilly rocks." A couple of days later he came back to his mother again and announced "If you guys refuse to bury me next to my Aippaq, I'll change my mind about dying."
Thank you all who knew my mother and greeted her with respect and love. God bless you all.

Caroline Palliser
Inukjuak

Practice Your French

The Dissident Frogman has a new domain name and enough room, it seems, to do his art gig and still deliver an important message from America's oldest ally (currently in disrepute in some circles). I keep his site in my daily-or-so must read list.

The Great Walkie-Talkie Shootout

New York Times technology columnist David Pogue gives the Motorola, Midland, Audiovox and Cobra products a whirl. Read his opinion of what works and what doesn't here. Don't forget to register (free) on the NYT website!

If you don't read ACHEWOOD yet, start now!

In fact, start here.
Then after you have decided it's worth more of your time, go into the archives, and start at the very beginning.

"Heroic teachers" - Ed Sect'y non-commital after village visits

U.S. Secretary of Education Rodney Paige took a helicopter ride to Tuntutuliak yesterday, where he spent two hours fact finding and mucking through the mud. Paige later journeyed to Nome and today heads to Savoonga, Galena and Fairbanks.

Education secretary gets eyeful
TOUR: Rod Paige sees firsthand the various challenges facing the Bush.

By DAN JOLING
The Associated Press

(Published: May 6, 2003)

TUNTUTULIAK -- U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige was not ready to grant Alaska exceptions to sweeping federal education reforms after visiting a rural village Monday, but he did have an assessment of its educators.
"Heroic teachers," Paige said after a little more than two hours at Lewis Angapak Memorial School in Tuntutuliak. "What it does is move you to do all you can to be helpful."(more)

Down and Safe: Soyuz carrying Space Station Crew lands ok

The Associated Press has this interesting story on the return to Earth of the outgoing crew of the International Space Station.

When Good Kids Go Better

The Aniak Dragonslayers keep making the news, today in this front page feature in today's Anchorage Daily News. Lets hope Secretary of Education Rodney Paige gets a chance to read it while he is in Alaska.